Coupling device



Aug. 24, 1943.

CQUPLING DEVICE Filed oct. 11', 1941 48 42 2 2s '27 o 26 14 lo 2% n 4 24 s1 2O 1e a@ 42 .28 13 s2y 3o l...r..1... l

lNvl-:NToR MICHAEL lJ. ZALESKE E; ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 24, 1943 Clamp` Manufacturing Co.,`

Inc., Brooklyn,

Y.,a corporationof New York Appii'etioii october 11, 1941, seriarNaf414,547l-' comme (o1. 2st-194) t The objectof this invention is to provide new anduseful improvementsiircoupling devices for Vmaking quick connections and disccnnections in control or connecting'rods,y tubes,Y cables, shafts andy the llike and for holding the; coupled parts securely together when the vcoupling elements are connected. z i I Another vObjectis to-provide such devices which prevent relative turning movement between the parts whenl subject togtorque.v i The newgcouplings provided by my vinvention ndimportant fields of use in aircraft and'also in automobiles;machinery` and other equipment where vitis desirableto keep 'parts of the equipment connected securely -inplacebutsubject to removal andvreplacement with a minimumqof effort and delayl -For examplegthecontrol rods or tubes of aircraft v engines usuallyextend throughand aregfastened towafre wall-,or

panel between the enginel and-the pilot cabin;

in such manner that tok remove and replace an engine heretofore has required considerable effort and delay in freeing and refastening Athe controls. By using thecouplings of my invention as parts of such engine controls quick disconnections may be made in the controls without entailing any unscrewing or dismounting operations, so that the removal of anengine is greatly expedited; and by providing thecontrol rods ortubes of replacement engines with simi- 1" lar coupling elementsa quick yet secure reconnection of controls may *bey eifected whenever replacementy engines are installed.

The various new features and advantages-of my invention and a suitable manner Yof vmaking and using the same will beapparent from: the following description ofr illustrative; embodiments thereof, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a longitudinal section showing-two parts of a control Ysystem connecteditogether by means of a coupling device embodying my invenftion;

Figure 2 is a vertical socket member of Figure 1; t t i Figure 3 is an elevation showing the `plug member of the coupling;

Figure 4 is an elevation of Figure 1; t l, Figure 5 is an exploded View, partly in section, showing the coupling members in disconnected relation;

Figure 6 is a perspective. view ofthefsocket memberbody; Y if y Figure 7 is an elevation, partly in vertical seo-v section through the t the assembly of tion, showing another embodiment of my invention wherein the couplingis provided with means to prevent relative turning movement between the coupled parts; and Figure 8 is a perspective yview berofFigure '7. l l v Referring rst to the embodiment ofFigures l-vto 6, I have there yillustrated acontrol rod end I0 that is yto be coupled `to the end I2 of anA air-r craft vengine .control tube,M The newcoupling devicej I4-is'provided to Connectland disconnect these parts. The couplingitself consists essentially Yof two separable mating parts-a socket member laand a plug nilember'sil.` The illus- V trated sooketm'ember has a body 20 with an in-` tegral screwjthreaded shank 2l which may be screwed into the rod endv I0. The illustrated `plug` member has acylindrical shank 3| which extends into the tuberfend I2 and is secured thereto by' means of pins I3. It will be understood, of course, that this illustrative arrangement may be re, versed-zenith@ varieta other means may be used for securing the plug and socket members to therespective parts which they are to couple together!" la 7 t i 'i ,Referringparticularlyto Figures l, 2 -and,6 thebody 20 has an axial-bore 2 2 therein, and the Wall of.Y this bore is slitted longitudinally at 23 toprovide a pluralityof strong, resilient integral fingers 24.-l VThe fingers 24 therefore define most of'. the bore or socket 22, which is open at its end; andl-theresiliencyfof `these fingers enables the socket opening to beA enlarged by expanding the finger ends outwardly from their` normal position. `In .-addition, the insides of the fingers 'are recessed,- asat 25, to define anV annular groove or receptacle for receiving a complementary part rif-the plug member, as l'lereinafter,described.4 The metal between the groove 25 and. the ends of the lingers-obviouslyprcvidesa discontinuous an-` nular Slip 26 having a radi-us smaller tharrthe radius of thegroove.` 5 l .The plugmember 30 comprisesan elongated plug or, stem 320i such shape and size as to slide 4in to e`.nd t within the bore orrsocket 22 of the socketgmember. AInter mediate the end and the base of this stern-there is an enlarged hump Aor step V434 which v is made ofwsuchshape and size thatitwill i'lt snugly within groove 25 when the twomemberslare coupled together, `The l'iump 34is formedfso that it may actas a cam and spread' theflngers whenever the `stem 32 is forced into or out of the socket 22.

A sleeve 40 is fitted on the socket -member for axial sliding movement on anouter bearing ofl the plugirnemmember with the socket member; or if the plug pj member already has been coupled with the socket member the parts cannot be separated because the sleeve 40 prevents fingers 24 from being sprung outwardly to the extentY necessary to allow step 34 to pass lip 26.

It will be understood, however,l that when the I I sleeve 40 is moved axially away from'its locking or operative position, the confining surfacel 42 thereof lies in spaced relation to cut-away portions 29 of the fingers, and hence the sleeve becomes inoperative. The fingers are then free to be sprung outwardly to a certain vextent at their ends, against their normal spring tension, sothat the stem of the plug member then may be inserted intoA or withdrawn from the'socket member.

With this arrangement, Ayieldable means are provided; for normally holding the sleeve in its locking or operative position, while still allowing it to be forced away from operative position when connecting or disconnecting the coupling. Forl example, a' compression spring 44 may be located in the bore v22 so as to press againstl a pin 46 extending through sleeve 4i).` Two oppositely disposed slits 23 may be large enough to accommodate and permit axial movement of pin 46; or parts of such slits may be enlarged for the same purpose, as indicated at 41. v

It will be evident that Whenthe coupling-is connected, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4,1'the fingers 24 hold themselves in embracing relation to the step 34 of stem 32, and the 'spring 44 holds the sleeve 40 in lockingr position so that there can be no outward springing movement of the fingers toV permit withdrawal of the stem. Consequently, there can be no relative linear movement between the plug and socket members or betweenl the parts to which they may be secured. To disconnect the coupling it is necessary merely to move the sleeve backwardly against spring -44 and thereafter to pull the plug and socket members apart with' a force sufficient ,tor pass 'the hump 34 'beneath lip 26. To reconnect the coupling "it is necessary'merely to retract the sleeve again as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 5, and to insert the plug member stem into the socket member while the sleeve is retracted. A fiange 48 preferably is provided onsleeve 40, allowing it to be grasped by the fingers and moved against spring 44.

The size of the improved couplings herein disclosed and the materials used inmaking them may be varied 'according to the strength required and the conditions to be encountered in their use. yGrreat strength, h'owever, may vbe obtained from a coupling of small diameter. For example, "a coupling having a maximum diameter of` (at the flange 48),v and having a hump .02 higher than the adjacent stem surface 32, has been made towithstand strains in excess of four thousand pounds by the use of ,heat treated, .35% C. Steel havinga Rockwell C-hardness of 38. Y

f -Another advantage of the couplings provided by this invention is that they may be Vmade with dimensional tolerances of .002" or more,

so that very precise manufacturing operationsare not required. Yet various plug and socket members may be used interchangeably. When the new couplings are used in aircraft engine controls, for example, the control rods may be so that any of the engines may be removed and replaced by another engine Without requiring any unfastening or dismounting operations on illustrated another embodiment of my invention, rwhereinthe coupling device is constructed in a i manner similar to the embodiment of Figures l to.6, except that it is provided with means for preventing relative turning movement'between the plug vand socket members. Thisisf accomplished readily by providing the step v34 of the plugmember with spaced ribs 49 of vsuch 1 between'fingers 24 when the members are coupled together. It will be evident that this str ucv ture prevents relative turning vmovementbetween the members and that couplingsembodying this feature may be used` toadvantage in rods, tubes,r shafts and the like where theparts coupled together vare required to be rotatedff* As will be understood by those skilled in the are, my invention may be embodied in various forms and constructions and applied to-various uses without restriction to detailsof the illustrative embodiments herein set forth. I thereforeA desire thatfmyinvention be accordedfe. scope fully commensurate with its contributions to the art,` as limited only by the fair require-A ments of the appended claims. l I claim: l. A coupling kdevice comprising a body mmber having a plurality of integral, resilient Vfin'- gers which normally hold themselves substantially parallel relation and definea normally contracted socket, transverse grooves onthe insides of saidflngersy between the extremitiesof said socket,` a plug member having a stem Y ed on said body member' fonmovement from and to a position confining said fingers against such outward movement, and means yieldably holding said last-recited means in its confining position. I

\ 2. A coupling device comprising a plug men-i'-` ber having a cylindrical stern with an enlargement thereon, a socket member includingl "a body portion having a plurality of integral, jresilient fingers defining avsocket to receive saidV stein and formed to embrace and-hold said enlargement, said fingers normally resting in, a

contracted parallel relation and being springable outwardly by movement of said 4enlarge'- ment into saidsocket, a sleeve slidable on said body portion to and away from an operativeposition confining the end portions of saidtfingers against outward movement, and spring means in said body portion normally holdingv said'sleevefin its operative position. f Y" "f 3. A coupling device as described in claim 1, said plug memberhaving radial projections on its stem to fit between said fingers and prevent relative turning' movement between the members.

4. In a coupling device comprising a plug member adapted to be secured to one part and a socket member adapted to be secured to another part that is to be coupled with said one part, a socket member 'including a body having a plurality of integral, resilient fingers defining an axial bore with an open end, a plug member having a stem shaped to rlt into said socket, complementary hump and groove means on said stem` and Within said socket, respectively, for holding said members in coupledrelation, said hump means being inclined at its sides so as to cam said fingers outwardly when said members are coupled or uncoupled, and a sleeve slidable on said body to and from a position preventing outward movement of said fingers.

5. A coupling device as described in claim 4, said plug member having radial projections on its stem to fit between said fingers and prevent relative turning movement between the members.

6. In a coupling device for making quick connections and ldisconnections between two parts to'be coupled together, a socket member comprising a cylindrical body having means at one end to secure the same to one of such parts and a plurality of integrahresilient fingers normally held in a contracted position defining an axial socket that is open at the other end of said body and shaped to receive the stem-of a cooperating plug member to be secured to the other of such parts, the insides of said fingers having recesses therein near said other end formed to interiit with complementary hump means on such stem, a sleeve slidable on said body to and from a position confining said fingers against outward-springing movement, and a spring carried by said body for normally holding said sleeve in said confining position.

'7. I n a coupling device, a coupling member comprising a cylindrical body having means at one end thereof to secure the same to a part to be coupled and a plurality of integral, parallel, resilient fingers at the other end thereof and defining therewith an axial, cylindrical socket open at said other end, the insides of said fingers having recesses spaced from the finger ends to intert with hump means on a mating coupling member, a bearing surface on the outside of said` Y body, a sleeve slidable` axially on said `bearing surface, and outside `surfaces near the ends of said ngers adapted to be engaged and confined by said sleeve, said fingers `having outsides of resilient fingers at the .other end thereof and defining therewith an axial, cylindrical socket open at said other end, the insides of said fingers having recesses spaced from the finger ends to interiit with hump means on a mating coupling member, a bearing surface on the outside of said body, outside tapered surfaces near the ends of said lingers, a sleeve surrounding said body to slide axially on said bearing surface and having an end portion formed to engage Lsaid tapered surfaces and confine the finger ends against outward movement when the sleeve isinoperative position, and the outsides of said fingers between said bearing surface and said tapered surfaces having a `reduced radius to allow outward i movement of the finger ends when the sleeve is disposed away from operative position.

9. In a coupling device, a coupling member comprising a cylindrical body having means at` one end thereof to secure the same to a part to be coupled and a plurality of integral,v parallel, resilient fingers attherother end thereof and defining therewith an axial, cylindrical socketI open at said other end, the insides of said ngers having recesses spaced from the finger ends to interflt `with hump means on a mating coupling member, a bearing surface on the outside of said body, outside tapered surfaces near the ends of said fingers, a sleeve surrounding said body to `slide axially on said bearing surface andhav- 

